Catching Up with The Tutu Project

Even though the month of October is drawing to a close, there’s still time to participate in the #Dare2Tutu Challenge and support The Tutu Project! The trio behind The Tutu Project (founders Bob and Linda Carey and Marcela Shine) took the time to talk to Jet Linx about the challenges facing breast cancer patients, their current efforts, and plans for the Project’s expansion.

View: Coping with Cancer The Tutu Project Way

In the year since Jet Linx met the team behind the ubiquitous pink tutus, the Project has grown considerably. “One of the biggest pieces that has happened is that we formalized our grant application,” Linda recalled. “We donated over $100,000 to the breast cancer community for a variety of services.” One such service is outside of what might be considered traditional cancer care: a recovery weekend for patients in treatment or recovery to go fishing with other patients and survivors, to bond over their experiences and spend time in nature. Others include things like assistance with caring for a patient’s home. Linda said that including that as a service for cancer patients was a “no-brainer.” “I’m still on chemo, but there are still some days that I’m too tired to clean the house,” she admitted.

Marcela works with a variety of behind-the-scenes aspects of The Tutu Project, including coordinating involvement from larger organizations. “We’re working to continue the virality of the #Dare2Tutu campaign,” she said. “We’re reaching more colleges, sororities are getting more involved, and more businesses are interested in doing their part.” Marcela mentioned participation from Jet Linx in 2015 as a driving force for the growth of the collaborations. “Your [Jet Linx] images were the most viral last year, and we couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen this year,” she explained. “It’s been great to see how much more creative these cool constituents are going to be, and then people want to compete with these pictures. That’s really pushed this idea of helping people get out of their negative mindsets, taking from Bob and Linda’s inspiration, and moving it out into the community.”

Bob continues to push the envelope with his art, and cites collaboration from businesses like Jet Linx in helping give him the ability to continue finding new locations and props. “It’s really hard to come by visual elements like aircraft and helicopters and locations, and the willingness to make stuff happen in the community,” he said. Bloomingdale’s recently partnered with The Tutu Project to showcase tutus and works by Bob in windows at its flagship store in New York, with a powerful message. “I said it would be really cool, because this is a growing need, if they could put blue tutus in there to create awareness that men get breast cancer, too,” Linda recalled. “I jumped up like a little kid when they said yes.” The window at 59th and 3rd in New York City includes t-shirts, hats, two of Bob’s images, and is built around the theme “Men have breasts, too.”

Partnerships with Bloomingdale’s, American Ballet Theater, Boston Ballet, and more have opened doors for Bob to take stunning photographs, but his newest plans involve more intimate portraits – and Bob stepping out of the frame. The new plan is early in its development, but will be a series of photographs and short video vignettes showcasing those who have benefited from The Tutu Project. “It would be more of a documentary, journalistic style, and I think those heartwarming images and the film content could really make a big difference in who we attract, and I’m very excited about it,” he said.

The Project hopes to continue to raise awareness that cancer patients often have tremendous expenses – even if they have insurance. “People think if you have insurance, you’re covered, and there’s no clear understanding how much doesn’t get covered,” Marcela explained. “Particularly with metastatic cancer, the survivor ends up carrying that cost for a very long time. That’s why what we do is so critical.” Metastatic cancer, or cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, often receives less funding, and Marcela and Linda participated in a congressional visit during a recent trip to Washington DC. The hashtag #Stage4NeedsMore has been used to help raise awareness to the issue.

A lesser-known issue facing the breast cancer community has a cute-sounding name, but its effects are less attractive. Pinkwashing is the practice of selling products or using the color pink and pink ribbon icons to show the appearance of support for breast cancer patients and research, but without committing to donating toward breast cancer causes. “I was in the grocery store and there was a reusable grocery bag for the store with pink ribbons on it and it said “Think Pink,” and nothing about donating to breast cancer,” Linda recalled. When choosing a pink item in support of breast cancer, it’s important to check the fine print to see that the company will do more than verbally support the cause.

Even though October is nearing its close, Linda stressed the need for participation in the #Dare2Tutu challenge. Interested parties can participate through Jet Linx so a donation is made on their behalf, or can participate directly through the contests at Dare2Tutu.com. The team is dedicated to making life easier for breast cancer patients, and part of that is how small their operation is. “We’re three people, and we’re working it and we’re learning every day what we need to do,” Linda smiled. She noted Marcela’s assistance to the cause – often contributed pro bono – as a major reason for their success. “There’s no way we could have grown this project without Marcela.”

Donate to The Tutu Project today.

Visit TheTutuProject.com and Dare2Tutu.com to learn more.

You can help The Tutu Project from your local Jet Linx Base – participate in your Base silent auction for a signed, limited edition print of Bob’s latest collaboration with Jet Linx, or pose for your own #Dare2Tutu photo! Just ask your local Client Services team for more information.